Sounds unbelievable !
The pinnacle spearhead of police juggernaut against Punjab terrorism, once met his Waterloo at hands of the Indian Capital metropolitan police.
During heydays of terrorism after assassination of Indira Gandhi during 1984 and a subsequent Sikh holocaust, a badly ruffled Delhi Police (DP) remained in a state of introspective shocking prickly period. Meanwhile, subversive elements were threatening to target innocent citizens, challenging the preparedness of Delhi cops passing through a testing phase of unprecedented pressing turbulent times.
One evening a man lackadaisically alighting, parked his Maruti car haphazardly along the roadside. A tall well built Sikh sporting a uncut beard, donning a well groomed bright colored turban began lurking in suspicious circumstances in posh south Delhi, Greater Kailash market. His questionable movements being of a highly feigned nature appeared as though he searched for a particular person or a potential target.
Besides looks, gait and demeanor were sufficient to arouse an element of doubt in the mind of any intelligent person. From outfit he appeared to be from a respectable family but actions displayed doubtful bearings.
A smart manager of a popular high end store had an ‘inkling’ about misgivings of this leisurely ambling ‘suspect’. Further this gentleman appeared in a state of abnormal tipsiness sufficiently evident from ample tell tale parameters. Finally when a number of evening shoppers and strollers both ladies and a few gents complained to alert inquisitive alarmed manager, he volunteered to alert the guardians of law.
Good Samaritan police present in area responding to SOS message rushed to scene without loss of time. Ensuing search yielding a rewarding result, the ‘suspect’ was soon nabbed by the strong arm of law. Thank God ! a cursory search revealed him to be unarmed.
Two beat policemen a heavily built towering Punjabi Sikh constable and a mediocre statured Bihari head constable questioned him in rough and tough police methodology to ascertain crucial whereabouts. The suspect mumbled some jumbled words in English, “fuck off you stinky skunks, mind your own bloody business….”, rest of the words getting lost in quivering of his lips.
Though the policemen did not understand much, but offensive attitude was sufficient to trigger alarm bells in their highly receptive minds.
Summoning nearest PCR van they bundled their ‘daring catch’ to police station for according a rousing reception reserved for such renegade anti-social rowdy elements.
Waiting impatiently itching for a retaliation against a uncouth insolent person daring to lock horns with the potent machinery of law. At Police Station they showered a barrage of robust punches occasionally spicing with baton strikes, still failing to elicit a much anticipated “confessional statement”.
Prior to incarceration in lock-up, law necessitates mandatory personal search, wherein all valuables and documents are consigned to safe deposit after recording proceeding in daily diary. Rummaging contents of purse, an I-card bearing name KPS Gill, Inspector general of police surfaced in form of a ”exploding breaking news”.
This epic discovery at this hour being reserved for celebration, spread a grim moroseness, no less than an eternal revelation to Prophet Moses at Mount Sinai. Station house officer (SHO) Lakhvinder Singh Brar rushed to Police Station for defusing this, “high powered explosive human device”.
Now dawned a phase of anti-climax, finding a way out of deep quagmire appeared a highly formidable task for the protective angels of law.
Gill was respectfully seated in lounge and offered much needed refreshments along with an abundance of appeasing apologies. Displaying his signature large heartedness, even in moment of adversity, maintaining his mental equitability, proposed an easy way out of this woebegone situation. Expressing desire to forgive and forget, but longing to proportionately payback the two “valiant policemen”, exactly the same treatment meted out to him.
DCP Maxwell Pereira, a accomplished trouble shooting genius of first order apprised Police Commissioner Ved Marwah. Who advised him for resolving this contentious issue before it assumed alarming proportions. Police Commissioner desired for an unceremonious expeditious burial of this unfortunate incident. Gracefully accepting the challenge Maxwell befittingly briefed SHO LS Brar, a sequential plan of action in colloquial abracadabra of police vernacular.
Inspector Brar a highly result oriented officer meritoriously accomplished in gift of gab, first took KPS Gill to the, “scene of crime”, to retract his friend’s burrowed car. However the clues provided were of hotchpotch hazy nature, search was abandoned midway, entrusting it to police patrol for suitably accomplishing the vital job.
Now came the task of chaperoning KPS Gill to his lodgings at Punjab Bhawan on Copernicus Marg New Delhi. On way while driving LS Brar appeared in a extremely humble sincerely apologetic deportment, kept entertaining Gill with many a interesting police anecdotes.
Around midnight arrived the moment of adieu. A confident unperturbed shooter known for invariably scoring bullseye, LS Brar did not hesitate from launching a final well calculated commemorative sugar coated salvo.
“Sir, though your honour is absolutely faultless, the occurrence of this abnormally deplorable incident was inevitable, since you were lodging in exceptionally inauspicious room number 13”. Be advised, in future please steer clear from unlucky “13”, for avoiding its unpredictable evil treacherous influences.
LS Brar, a red herring of SHO fraternity not only succeeded in successfully defusing a volatile explosive situation, but simultaneously earning a premium appreciation of senior officers.
Interesitingly , after few years RS Gupta, took over as Commissioner of Police, KPS Gill was specially invited for a sumptuous dinner and a meaningful interaction with Delhi Police officers at GO’s mess at Alipur road. He was warmly felicitated for recognition of his long outstanding services rendered for our great Indian nation.
( Author of the article is former Deputy Commissioner of Police )
